Agape

I Corinthians 13. There are over 1300 different interpretations of love when you include poets, their poetry, and all other writers of literature. When Scriptures were written there were only four different words for love. 1) Eros: This is the sensual, sexual love from where we get our word 'erotic'. 2) Storge: Storge love was the love between a parent and child (a family type love). 3) Then there's Phileo: the brotherly love. 4) Agape: Unconditional love. This is the word Paul uses here. It is a sacrificial love. It's the same Greek word for love found in John 3:16 "For God so loved (agape) the world..." Agape love is an unconditional, selfless type love. Agape says, "I'm going to do good for you, regardless of what you do for me" because agape love expects nothing in return. And it's this kind of love that is the medicine for our sick world. The world's definition of love is selfish (what can you do for me type of love), but not 'agape'. Agape is unconditional, unselfish, selfless, and sacrificial.
This troubled church at Corinth made a big deal about spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts for them was a pride issue "Look at me...look what I can do...I can speak in tongues" etc. Paul has just finished discussing spiritual gifts and the oneness of the body of Christ in ch.12. Now he says here's the greatest one. Here's what you should desire: agape. Note the breakdown of this chapter.

1. The Necessity of Love v.1-3
Notice the "though's and the "all" but do not have love, I am nothing... God does not give a flip about our gifts if there's no love. Love is prerequisite. And notice the progression: "I am becoming sounding brass (nothing)-v.1...I am nothing-v2...I will profit nothing-v3." You must have love-agape.

2. The Action of Love v.4-7
Here, Paul gives us, not so much a definition, but rather a description of what love does and does not do. Love is not mere words. It's action. Paul begins with two godly actions: patience and kindness. Next he continues with 8 characteristics which love does not have, does not do: 1) envy 2) boasting 3) pride 4) rudeness 5) self-seeking 6) easy anger 7) record of wrongs 8) delight in evil. Paul concluded here by describing love with four positive actions: 1) It protects 2) It trusts 3) It hopes 4) It perseveres.

3. The Endless Nature of Love v.8-13
Love never fails. It never folds, even under the most severe pressure. It continues through death into eternity. Love outlasts the popular gifts of the Corinthians: tongues, prophecy and knowledge. Paul stresses that the spiritual gifts are only for the church age--they are not eternal. But love is eternal. In heaven, we won't need the spiritual gifts, but we will still have love. Even faith and hope will end, because then we are with Jesus. Our journey of faith and hope is completed. We will then sit at Jesus' feet, but we'll still have love. Love is endless.

Paul says the supreme gift is love (agape). The church cannot function without this kind of love. We are commanded to love some 55 times in the New Testament. Our problem is we take the world's definitions of love and try to exercise them in the church. And guess what? It won't work. Why? Because all of the world's definitions are of a selfish type of love. So let's love each other with this agape, Christ-like love. "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.'" I Peter 4:8.